Thai Fragrant Meatballs

We DON’T have that Friday feeling. It’s 3.45pm and we’re still outside the corner shop (the last ones) trying to negotiate bikes and bags of sweets and scarves which get caught in the wheels. Daisy has developed a shoulder injury whilst picking her penny sweets, so I become the proverbial cart horse and am loaded up with PE bag, school rucksack and pairs of gloves (very hard to eat sweets with them on).

No one is in a good mood. Ollie is tired from madly peddling to school; Daisy has had her fill of learning and just wants to get home; and I’m dog-tired and have spent the afternoon looking at our finances. Not something to do on a Friday.

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Everyone speaks in querulous tones. I’m as bad as the kids. Ollie rams his wheel in to Daisy’s leg, Daisy hits him round the head. Somehow we make it home.

I wrestle the bikes into the garage and decide we all need a pot of tea. Daisy has put on a summer dress which always makes her feel better, and Ollie cheers up when I give him a cardboard box to make into a boat or something.

I decide to ruin the moment by phoning Npower to tackle them about our huge energy bill. At the same time I start fiddling with lemon grass ready for tonight’s dinner. My multi-tasking knows no limits. Just as I am getting into full swing with my ‘we-shouldn’t-be-paying-this-much’ argument, Ollie crashes into the kitchen on Daisy’s rollerboots. This is definitely not allowed because: 1) Daisy will hit the roof if she sees him and 2) they scratch the new floors (yes I have become that person!)

He rams into the kitchen drawers and careers backwards into the cat’s bowl screaming all the while. It’s like watching a drunk sailor on the deck of a rocking boat.

Fortunately Daisy arrives in the doorway just in time, and announces in her stage voice: “I am a Victorian teacher!” She has changed into a long dress and flamenco heels. Her chin is smeered with sudocrem (dry skin problem) which doesn’t quite go with the outfit. I feel like I’m in an unscripted play with dramatic entrances and numerous costume changes.

Daisy is so deep in role that she doesn’t seem to notice Ollie’s rollerboot misdemeanour and she shepherds him out. Next thing I know he is doing handwriting practice under her watchful eye and she is handing out ‘Star of the Week’ awards.

I am cursing myself for starting a recipe which takes hours to prepare, when we could’ve just had fishfingers out of the freezer. Ollie becomes so hungry that he starts eating slices of raw red pepper – something he would never have contemplated a few hours earlier.

Tom arrives home and I start frying. Suddenly everything comes together. The Thai meatballs are delicious and the kids are so ravenous that they wolf them down dipped in soy and sweet chilli sauce. It all tastes so fresh and fragrant and delicious, and when Tom announces “This is proper Friday night food!” I think maybe it was worth the effort after all.

Now time to (secretly) watch Bake Off with Daisy and get into that Friday feeling.